ZimTrade recently conducted a workshop with stakeholders in service sectors such as research, engineering, architecture, finance, arts and culture, ICT and logistics. The purpose of the meeting was to understand how service sectors can be assisted to grow exports.
Zimbabwe’s service sector contribution to exports is currently negligible, especially compared to countries such as Singapore where services totaled over US$161 billion in 2017, approximately half of the country’s GDP. ZimTrade has started engaging local service sector players to determine how their contribution to Zimbabwe’s export growth can be improved.
Feedback from the engagement highlighted access to foreign currency; a lack of collaboration between competing firms to win tenders or share knowledge; a standards shortfall within local businesses; insufficient market knowledge; and the burden of negativity around brand Zimbabwe as the major impediments to services exports.
Whilst further engagements are necessary, several first steps were agreed on, including the need for ZimTrade to start working more closely with individual companies in the service sector; to advise government on a coherent strategy towards services export promotion; to engage diaspora networks for information, expertise, and contacts; as well as for service companies to get training on improving their online visibility, especially under selected modules of ZimTrade’s Marketing and Branding for International Competitiveness training programme.
Publish Date: Wednesday 04 July 2018
